No Matter What
by The Wonderless Wizard of Oz
Summary: Sometimes, all it takes to save the world are a few simple words.
1. Chapter 1

Aye, where to start... firstly, sorry for going AFK for so long. My strawberry panic fanfic hasn't died, but I felt the need to write this after playing TTT2(and playing Michelle extensively), and reading a fanfic Titled "Around the Mountain" by TheNewBrawler. Needless to say that this fic was strongly influenced, and I'd suggest that once you're done here, you should check it out. He tells a story twice as good with only half as many words.

Tekken, and all affiliated characters are owned by Namco Bandai, and not me.

* * *

"_You're going back?!"_

_Michelle Chang couldn't help but raise her voice when the petite Japanese woman of her unknown affections spoke her plans. Jun Kazama smiled softly at Michelle, although it did little to hide the sadness in her eyes._

_"I have to confront him again, Michelle. There's still good in him. I just know it."_

_She speaks of course, of Kazuya Mishima, the current head of the Mishima Zaibatsu, and the man who beat her to within an inch of her life, saved only by Michelle being in the right place at the right time._

_"You might see good in him Jun, but it makes no difference if he doesn't see it for himself!"_

_Michelle's protests were falling on deaf ears, or perhaps stubborn ears in Jun's case. In the short few months they had spent together, Jun's stubbornness was one of those qualities Michelle would normally be able to relate to somehow. But right now, when Michelle needed the raven haired Japanese woman to see reason, it was pissing her off._

_"I have to try Michelle…"_

"_But why?"_

_Jun paused for a moment, causing Michelle to swallow her breath. She'd put Jun on the spot, and instantly regretted doing so._

_"Kazuya was the first person to ever show me kindness as a child. For him to have changed so much, means that something inside his spirit is broken. If I have a chance to mend it, then how can I not take it, if only to return the kindness he once showed me."_

_This time it was Michelle's turn to be left speechless, as Jun looked up at her with that stubborn determination that she now couldn't help but find endearing._

_"At least let me come with you."_

_Michelle took several steps towards Jun. If she couldn't talk her out of what would only end up being a suicide mission, then she could see to it personally that Kazuya brought her no harm. After the past 3 months she spent with Jun, she would do anything for her. She could at least do this much._

_"I'm sorry Michelle, but this is something I have to do personally. You can't come with me."_

_The tears began to well up in Michelle's eyes, as she observed her best friend gaze at the sunset overlooking the Arizona desert. The last of the sun' light reddened the sky and sand alike, whilst above them, the stars began to reveal themselves one by one. Michelle's lip quivered as she dug in deep to fight back the onslaught of tears. There was so much she wanted-no, needed to say to Jun, but her voice was unwilling to move with her mind._

_"The time I've spent with you here has been wonderful. I'll miss this. Both this place. And you….."_

_That was too much for Michelle. She immediately closed the gap between them, and threw her arms around Jun's shoulders. She couldn't hold her tears back any longer, Michelle buried her face in Jun's shoulder, and let her tears dampen her shirt._

_"Damn you Kazama. It's not fair. You can't leave! Not like this…."_

_Michelle's words were weak as she continued sob into Jun's shoulder. She huffed slightly when she felt Jun wrap her arms gently around her back. A slender finger stroked the bare of her back between her tank top and her denim shorts._

_"This won't be the end for us. We will see each other again. No matter what."_

_Jun's gentle words in Michelle's ear somehow soothed her tears. Against her will, Michelle relaxed her embrace with Jun, allowing her to break off. With a farewell, she watched helplessly as Jun retrieved her bags, and hopped into a taxi to whisk her out of her life._

_._

That was the last time Michelle saw Jun. Almost 20 years ago to this day…

.

Dressed only in black sporty underwear, the woman whose physical body lagged at least a decade behind her chronological age lay sprawled out on a double bed in a luxury apartment far away from the dusty shack she called home in the Arizona desert. She was here in Japan supporting her adopted daughter Julia in the Iron Fist Tag Tournament. She loved her daughter more than most things, but lately she found herself struggling to sit through her matches. Watching Julia fight was no different to watching a stranger with her acrobatic lucha libre style she took up in place of the style Michelle had taught her since she was 10. That pink and white piece of fabric she called a costume wasn't helping her case either. She looked ridiculous, but Michelle hadn't the heart to tell her. It made Julia happy, and helped her worry less about her forest restoration project. And considering the endless nights Michelle helplessly watched Julia work herself to the point of exhaustion, that could only be a good thing.

Her choice of partner was another thing Michelle found odd. His name was Craig Marduk, an MMA fighter from Australia. The guy was built like a monster, and had the in-ring temperament to match it. But somehow, his brutish and straight forward style seemed to complement Julia's affluent acrobatics in the ring. The synergy they shared as a team was enough to topple the favourites Paul Phoenix and Marshall Law in their previous fight. Outside the ring, the aggression faded, transforming him into a happy yet boastful jock. He had just enough chivalry where it really counted, but nothing more. He wasn't exactly a deep thinker either, with his main choices of conversations consisting of workout routines, previous fights, or a mixture of both. Luckily, he was smart enough to shut up whenever Julia started talking about her forest restoration project. Michelle recognised the look in their eyes whenever they looked at each other. They were obviously trying to hide it, but Michelle could tell they were smitten with each other. _But why him?_Maybe Julia had picked up some greater insight into a person's character that Michelle lacked(or lost), or maybe the wrestling was actually making her dumber somehow. Either way, Michelle didn't get what Julia saw in him. Sure, he was gentle around her, and seemed to have a genuinely caring personally somewhere underneath all the bravado, but still….

Of course, Michelle had her own reasons for tagging along with Julia and her partner, although she wasn't too sure on what those reasons were. She told Julia that she felt she needed a change of scenery after not travelling for so long, and that was partially true. What she didn't tell Julia was that she'd been plagued by recurring nightmares recently. Jun Kazama remained a constant feature in her dreams, choking and drowning in sickly purple ichor within a rotting garden. Sometimes Jun struggled, sometimes she'd allow herself to sink willingly, but it always ended with Michelle waking in a cold sweat. The only knowledge Michelle had of Jun's life after they parted ways in Arizona, was what Heihachi Mishima had told her while he had her captured for the pendant her adopted daughter now wore. Heihachi told her that she had given birth to Kazuya's son. The mental images in Michelle's head still sicken her. The idea of Jun willingly giving herself to that monster was inconceivable, regardless of Jun's insistence that Kazuya 'still had good in him'. Now her son's face is plastered on every newspaper she reads, wearing his mother's gentle facial features like a distorted mask that lacked any real emotions. Heihachi told her one other thing. That she'd been killed by Ogre, the legend the local Indian tribe foretold of, not long after giving birth to Jin. Initially, Michelle refused to believe him, but seeing the world the way it was now, there was no way she couldn't. If Jun really was still alive, she wouldn't have allowed her son to become what he is today.

Back home, she constantly felt uneasy. Being in tune with the land's spiritual energy, she noticed subtle differences in its flow. It felt unusually course, like something was interfering with it. Whatever was disturbing the land's spirit was somehow affecting her too through the nightmares. She thought that maybe being away from home would clear her mind, allowing her to meditate on what could be disturbing the land with more clarity. In truth, coming here had actually made it worse. In the short few days she had been here, she'd gotten merely half a healthy night's sleep. Her nightmares stalked her constantly here, and when she awoke, there would be the sound of faint sobbing. The sound was too distorted in echoes to make out who or what it belonged to, but it always followed after a nightmare. She kept these things to herself, but Julia knew something was wrong, and Michelle would only be able to deter her with _"I'm fine"_for so long.

Michelle rolled over to one side to check her alarm clock. It was barely 4 in the morning. The sun wouldn't begin to show for another 2 hours yet. It didn't matter, it wasn't like she was going to get any more sleep anyway. She slowly crawled out of bed, and lazily made her way to a small kitchen compartment. Her eyes blurred up momentarily as they adjusted the light blurring from the fridge. She retrieved a chilled jug of water, before pouring herself a drink in the dark. As her eyes became reacquainted with the darkness, just cast her thoughts back to Jun. The time between their parting and the now had not been completely empty for Michelle as far as 'intimate' relationships went. There was a one night stand here, a failed partnership there. And yet none of them made her feel the same way Jun did. In many ways, Michelle still blames herself for the current state of the world. If she had the strength to say what she wanted to say to Jun back then, things might have been different-for everyone. Having swallowed her last mouthful of her drink, she decided on a shower, before changing into a blue tanktop, some tight denim shorts, a pair of cowhide boots, and a large sleaved zebra scarf she wore loosely like a poncho. She still had at least an hour left before the sun came up. The only thing she could do is kill time with some early morning television, with the fruitless hopes of it possibly quelling her troubled mind.

.

Later that night….

.

On the surface, the day had passed along relatively uneventfully, consisting of Julia hitting mall after mall and diving in and out of clothing stores, each visit leaving Marduk with yet one more bag on his arms. A girls shopping trip is normally considered the bane of all would-be boyfriends, yet Marduk seemed to relish the trip, viewing it as some kind of alternative training exercise. By the end of the day, his forearms were covered in bag straps, and though he tried not to show it, carrying that many bags for so long began to weigh in on him physically. This was even more obvious when they returned to the hotel. He watched a crack team of bell boys go back and forth between the hotel and the overflowing taxi boot with a look of relief etched into his face. Currently, the three of them sat enjoying dinner in their hotel's restaurant. Marduk and Julia were mowing through their T-bone steak and chicken salad as though they hadn't eaten in several weeks. In comparison, Michelle had barely touched her wedges. Instead she gazed out at the ever darkening clouds, signalling the onset of night time. She'd not seen a clear sky ever since they got here. Each day was always miserably overcast, but today the clouds looked unusually ominous, an endless blanket of thick, deep grey moving at great speed despite the lack of wind. And then she heard it again. Distorted sobbing ever so slightly above the noise of the restaurant. It was much clearer than the times she'd heard it before, but no one else, not even Julia seemed to notice or even hear it. Michelle closed her eyes, attempting to shut the rest of the world out so she could focus her attention on that damned sobbing. She deducted that its source was not far out of the city limits, and then she heard it once more, this time undistorted, and clear enough to break Michelle's focus. The sound of the voice turned her veins to ice. It came from a grown woman, and one she recognised all too well.

_Jun…._

"Mom?"

Michelle looked up to find both Julia and Marduk's attention on her. Julia wore a look of genuine concern on her face, whilst Marduk simply looked slightly confused. Michelle immediately put on her 'I'm fine' face, out of instinct if nothing else.

"What's up sweetie?"

"Are you OK? You looked like you were about to pass out."

"It's just been a big day, is all."

"Yeah, I hear that." Marduk chimed in. "But this T-bone has really hit the spot for me."

With a hearty laugh, Marduk continued to rip into his steak. Julia ignored him, and continued to gaze at her mother. Michelle knew that Julia wasn't buying her excuses. The girl was incredibly insightful, sometimes too much for her own good. Eventually, Michelle would have to fess up about the nightmares, and the negative energy she'd been feeling off of the land-assuming Julia didn't have some idea already. Suddenly, Julia's cellphone rang.

"Lee, this is my private number, so this had better be an emergency….. I see. What kind of situation?... Where?... Oh. Well how much time do we have?... I could be there in twenty minutes... Then where are you?"

Julia disconnected her phone, and abruptly left the table to run outside. Michelle and Marduk quickly followed suit. Outside, there seemed to be a commotion on the streets. A sleek looking black helicopter had just landed in the middle of the road, proudly bearing the Violet Industries logo on its sides. The side panels folded out to reveal the helicopter's innards, and out stepped a tuxedo clad Lee Chaolan. She saw Julia step out of the crowd to meet him, and Michelle rushed in after her. Unknown to Julia, she heard most of their phone call. If Michelle wanted to get to the bottom of this, she had to be on that helicopter.

"Julia, wait up!" Michelle called out.

"Mom?!"

"Ah, Ms. Michelle Chang. It's been too long." Lee Chaolan greeted with a bow. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I don't know what sort of deal my daughter has made with you, but I need to be on that helicopter with her."

"Mom, what's gotten into you?"

"I overheard your conversation. You're going to the old Mishima Estate, right?"

"Yeah…."

"I'm sorry Julia, but there's something I have to see for myself over there."

"Hey wait a second! There's no way you guys are leaving me here!" Marduk boomed out.

"Ah, _excellent_…" Lee said, rolling his eyes. "I take it the brute will be joining us too?"

"This _brute_, is Julia's partner. And yeah, he will be coming along. Is that gonna be a problem?" Marduk replied aggressively, as he towered over Lee.

Lee looked over at Julia, who gave him a quick nod. "Ugh, fine. Now let's be gone before the Zaibatsu realises we're parked right under their noses."

With its passengers secured safely, Lee's heli left as quickly as it had arrived, unknowingly headed to the source of Michelle's nightmares.

.

.

"So, wanna explain what you're doing with Violet Industries?" Michelle quizzed.

"After I left the G-corporation, I lacked the funds to continue with my forest restoration project. And that's where Lee stepped in. He offered to finance my research, in return for assistance and expertise on the sorts of things conventional science can't explain."

"Things like this?"

"Yeah….."

Michelle looked at Lee with discerning eyes. The man was on his cellphone, casually discussing his schedule over the next few days. He spoke of charity events, diplomatic meetings, and all manner of good-willed acts typical of genius playboy billionaire philanthropists out of comic books. Michelle's memories of him were far less pleasant, however. Lee Chaolan was once Heihachi's right hand, and back then Lee wouldn't have hesitated make someone disappear for just looking at him the wrong way.

"Mom, I get the feeling you don't trust Lee, but he is a good man, and thanks to him, my research has been making real headway."

"It's fine, Julia." Lee interjected, slipping his cellphone into his pocket. "Your mother has every reason to be suspicious of me. I was a different man back then, with different goals. And they weren't very nice ones….."

"None of that matters right now." Michelle replied, sensing proper remorse in Lee's voice for his actions in the distant past.

In the short break of silence that followed, the ghostly sobbing returned to Michelle's ears. The old Mishima Estate couldn't be much further now, because Michelle could now feel the spiritual disturbance in its full volume. She was all too familiar with the dread the dominant energy force imposed. She'd felt this before, the first time being when she rescued Jun from Kazuya. She'd felt it numerous times since, whenever a pivotal moment in the Mishima family's history of violence took place, Michelle would feel its spiritual echo-even from all the way in Arizona. Julia called it 'The Devil Gene', and it was here in spades. Its ominous energies overwhelmed Michelle's spiritual senses, threatening to choke her mercilessly. But there was something else alongside the cursed energy. It felt sick and corrupted, as it spiralled out of control along with the Mishima bloodline's curse. Being this close to it now, Michelle could tell that the corrupted energy alongside the Devil Gene belonged to a spirit of immense power. It belonged to Jun Kazama, there was no doubting this now. Michelle's heart was mixed with joy and sadness. Joy over being reunited with Jun. Sadness over the state she might find her in. Her last words to Michelle all those years ago in the desert played back in her head.

_Was this the 'no matter what' you had in mind, Jun?_

"Mom?"

Once more, Julia interrupted Michelle's train of thought. She recognised the look in her daughter's eyes. There was no way she would be able to dodge her questions this time, not after forcing herself onto a helicopter bound for heaven knows what.

"You've been acting strange ever since we've gotten here. And now this? Mom what's gotten into you?"

"I….."

"It's the spirits, isn't it?" Julia said calmly, placing a hand on her mother's shoulder.

"You feel it too then?"

"Yes. This distortion in the air. It's been saturating us ever since we've been here. There's no way this isn't unrelated. Mom… I get the feeling that something bad's about to happen."

Michelle gave her daughter a warm smile. Somehow, all the science and research Julia buried herself in hadn't dulled her spiritual senses. She'd been noticing for possibly as long as Michelle has, and not only didn't show any signs of it disturbing her, but managed to compete in a tournament as well. Michelle looked upon her daughter with pride. There were only a few things Michelle had managed to get right in her life. Adopting and raising Julia to be the woman she is today was definitely one of them.

"Sweetie. I'm not about to let that happen." Michelle reassured with a wink.

"No. WE'RE not going to let that happen." Julia returned.

Michelle let out a soft giggle in response, as she suddenly noticed Marduk setting quietly in his seat. He hadn't said a word ever since boarding the heli with everyone else. She couldn't blame him. All this talk of forest restoration and spirits would be enough to make anyone's head spin. To his credit though, he looked be actually trying to keep up with the conversation. She had to wonder whether Marduk would try to really listen whenever Julia went on a tangent about her research, or just zone out and pretend he was listening(something Michelle was guilty of doing more than a few times).

"Sir, we've arrived at the old Mishima Estate. Ummm….. you might wanna take a look at this…" Lee's pilot spoke through the intercom.

With a press of a button, the left side panels folded up, allowing a steady gust of wind to fill the passenger compartment. Everybody instinctively grabbed onto something as they lay their eyes on the nature of the threat they faced.

"Oh god…." Lee gasped.

Amongst the endless sea of forests should've stood a feudal Japanese castle surrounded by a large compound. What lay there instead could only be described as a condensed mass of storm clouds. Coloured in deep dark purples and greens, the clouds violently overlapped and rolled over each other, its pulsating mass occasionally expanding to consume another circumference of trees around it. Everyone reacted to what they saw differently. Lee Chaolan barked orders at his pilot in an attempt to get an idea of what was happening in front of him. Julia, like Michelle could feel the malevolent presence of the devil permeate the area around them. Marduk simply gawked at the supernatural storm facing him, unable to comprehend how such a thing was possible. Michelle simply looked on with steely eyes, now fully aware of why she was here.

Her Jun was somewhere within the storm. Her sobbing, seemingly intended for Michelle's ears only, grew stronger the closer they got to the storm. Michelle didn't need to ask why she could feel the devil alongside Jun. It was obvious that a son wasn't the only thing Kazuya left her with all those years ago. She couldn't have willingly accepted this cursed power from him. The ceaseless sobbing made that clear. Michelle had to temper her boiling blood on the thought of Kazuya forcing himself onto _her _Jun. But the past couldn't be reversed. Right now it was the present that needed tending to. On the surface, it appeared that the devil was in complete control of its host, bending her to its destructive whims. But Michelle felt Jun's will hanging on by a thread, keeping the true destructive power of her curse in check. But she was losing this fight. If someone didn't do something soon, the external consequences would be dire for everyone. In her heart, Michelle knew that she was the only one who could bring an end to this favourably. She had to act now. Everything from her own personal closure with Jun, to the fate of the world now rested on her shoulders. She looked to her daughter, as she mentally prepared to undertake the hardest task of her life.

"Julia, do you remember me telling you about that woman in that photograph you asked about?"

"Yeah, her name was….. Jun Kazama, right?"

"She's in there somewhere." Michelle spoke sadly, pointing at the ever growing mass of clouds in the distance.

"That should be impossible." Lee Chaolan interjected. "I heard she was killed not long after the second Iron Fist Tournament. But if the antics the names Mishima and Kazama have been attached to over the years are anything to go by, then you may as well throw all logic out the window."

"I have to save her…." Michelle hadn't taken her eyes off the storm.

"Wait a second!" Marduk spoke for the first time since getting on the helicopter. "You're not actually planning on going in there, are you? I mean, for all we know, this Jun girl might be the one behind this mess!"

Marduk was met with an angry glare for having the gall to suggest that Jun was intentionally causing this destructive storm. In his defence, the brute didn't know any better. But it was Jun he was talking about, and in Michelle's eyes, ignorance was completely inexcusable.

"He might be right Mom." Julia included, saving her partner from a potential barrage of expletives. "I can feel the Devil Gene just as you can. What if she really has turned?"

"I can still feel her, Julia." Michelle replied, seemingly calmer on the surface towards Julia. "She's fighting it, but she's losing. If I don't go to her now, then the Devil Gene will use her to cover the world in this darkness."

"Surely there's another way, Mom."

"There is. Kazuya or Jin could get to her first. But knowing their fixation on power, they'll no doubt try and use her for their own ambitions. I cannot allow that to happen." Michelle finished bluntly, renewing her gaze over the storm. She couldn't blame Julia for wanting to find a better solution-it was a sentiment Michelle shared with her. It was a small mercy then, that her daughter wasn't fully aware of what had to happen in order to save everyone.

"Lee, how close get you get me?" Michelle asked.

"We can descend here, but no closer. And landing is definitely out of the question."

"That's…. fine."

Michelle felt the weight leave her feet for a split second as the helicopter made its slow descent. Lee's pilot had be exceptionally skilled, as it felt no different to taking an elevator-minus the fierce wind in her face. Once more, Michelle turned to her daughter. Eyeing off the pendant on her neck, she gently lifted it from Julia's neck.

"Don't worry. You'll be getting this back." Michelle said, as she hung it over her own neck.

"The pendant. Do you think it'll help you?"

"It might. It definitely won't hurt to have it on me. Just in case."

Before Julia could ask _just in case what_, Michelle embraced her in a tight hug. Tighter than she'd ever hugged her before. It took Julia a short moment's confusion before instinctively returning her mother's show of affection. Leaving Julia behind would easily be hardest thing about what Michelle had to do. Ever since she found her as a dirt covered, abandoned roadside orphan, she had guided and watched her progress through life. There were still so many things she wanted to experience with her daughter, but this was where their roads parted ways. If Julia was to have the future that Michelle dreamt of for her, she had to give up her place in it, and be content with watching from afar. It took all of Michelle's willpower to hold back her tears. Her eyes had become glassy, which didn't go unnoticed by Marduk.

"Craig." Michelle used his first name before he could say anything. "When this is all over, Julia's gonna come to rely on you a lot. Just… be there for her, and whatever you do, don't break my little girl's heart, OK?"

"Mom?"

Michelle wriggled out of her now confused daughter's embrace. The helicopter had stopped descending. It was time.

"Wish me luck." Michelle winked at Julia, who caught a brief glimpse at the tears welling up in her mother's eyes.

She turned around, and gave Lee one last nod before stepping out of the helicopter, and landing gracefully on terra firma.

"Why are you talking like this Mom? You're gonna save Jun and come right back, right?"

Without another word, Michelle started walking.

"You are coming back, right?"

Michelle kept walking.

"Mom?!"

Michelle kept her eyes fixated on the dark cloud mass above her. She couldn't bear to look back at Julia now. She feared that doing so would break her conviction, and right now she still needed to be strong. And it almost did the moment she heard Julia's boots hit the ground hard. She didn't get far though. Both Lee and Marduk jumped out after her, cutting her pursuit of Michelle short. Still, she kept her pace.

"Damnit, let me go. I SAID LET ME GO! MOM! MOOOOM!"

Michelle's tears finally broke the floodgates, flowing ever faster with each of her daughter's frantic screams. She was under no illusions that doing this would be easy, yet her willpower strained like never before against the instinctive urge to run back to Julia. But still she pushed onward, towards the darkness, and towards Jun. Michelle was now close enough for the wind to drown out Julia's voice, and Jun's ghostly sobbing now held the same volume as thunder at close proximity. This sharp reminder of why Michelle was here was enough to re-ignite her resolve. She stopped only a few feet away from the storm. Its ever consuming cloud mass had seemingly halted in Michelle's presence. Taking her pendant in her hand, Michelle gripped it tightly, and closed her eyes.

_Hang on alittle longer for me, Jun…._

Michelle took her last steps in the real world, and entered the abyss…..

* * *

My main notes will be at the end of the second chapter.


	2. Chapter 2

Tekken and all affiliated characters are owned by Namco Bandai, and not me.

* * *

Michelle was walking in complete darkness. She kept one hand over her mouth to keep herself from breathing in the toxic clouds that blackened her vision. Another hand was kept out ahead of her, although it was doing her little good being unable to see it. Upon entering the cloud mass, the ground had become soft and moist. With each step she took, it became softer and softer to the point where it felt like she was walking on a thin layer of mud. The noxious smells of death and decay swirled through Michelle's nostrils. Having worked on her father's cattle farm as a kid, she'd grown resilient to unpleasant aromas, but this was pushing her just shy of dry-reaching. But most disturbing of all, was the silence amongst the darkness. Jun's sobbing, which threatened to shatter her eardrums at one point was now non-existent. There was nothing, not even a faint whisper of a breeze. She couldn't have been walking for more than a minute, yet it already felt like an eternity. Just as the onset of hopelessness was beginning to take hold, the hand Michelle had stretched out came into view. With this new sign of progress, Michelle had quickened her pace. The clouds became thinner with each step until she walked into a clearing, revealing the horror of the world she stepped in.

It was not mud that Michelle was walking in, but a sickly purple substance that seemed stretch endlessly into the horizon, littered with flowers and lily pads browned and decayed. Giant floating rocks sporting dead trees spewed forth even more ichor from openings in their centres. Above her, streaks of green, yellow and purple cut through the pitch black clouds, now static in contrast to the violent kaleidoscope they displayed on the outside. Michelle had literally walked into her nightmare, yet she could see now that the nightmares were never hers, but rather glimpses into Jun's personal hell. She looked behind her to find that the clouds she had walked through had disappeared, leaving even more of the corrupted landscape in their wake. Michelle was well past the point of no return now. With a deep breath, she marched forward, noticing something that looked out of place even here. But then her strides stopped when she got close enough to see exactly what it was. After almost 20 years, Michelle finally laid eyes on Jun Kazama once more.

With her back to Michelle, Jun was curled up in a foetal position, her face buried in her knees. The ichor they were surrounded by had covered her up to her chest, forming itself into a shape of a corset over her body. Her skin was pale, and on her right arm, she bore a tattoo of an image Michelle had seen all too often-the insignia of the Mishima Zaibatsu. Michelle was unsure what this meant exactly, and at this point, didn't care. She was so close now.

"Jun." Michelle called out softly, taking another step closer.

"**Jun…**" A demonic echo accompanied her voice as she repeated her name. "**I can't remember…. The last time I heard that name…**"

"There are things I have to tell you, Jun." Michelle's voice was shaky. She hadn't considered exactly how she was going to deliver her message. "Things that I should've told you a long time ago."

"**Your voice…..**" Jun rose to her feet, as if she were being dragged up by an unseen force. "**I remember….. your voice…**"

The devil gene had somehow fractured Jun's memories, or at least sealed most of them away. That the memories of Michelle were one of the few Jun managed to retain looked to be a positive sign. Until Jun turned around to face her, revealing her eyes, burning golden with hatred.

"**Your voice…..**" A snarl slowly formed on her blackened lips. "**It brings me sadness… and regret… and pain.**"

"**Why do you wish to cause me more pain?! Have I not suffered enough?!"**

Michelle didn't even have time to contemplate Jun's demeanour. She quickly rolled right to avoid being impaled from an angled spike that shot out from the ichor. She barely had time to comprehend what just happened before being forced to avoid a second spike. Covered in ichor, Michelle remained crouched as she observed Jun. The power the devil seemed to be drawing from her was beyond immense. There was no way Michelle could succeed if she tried to fight her. She hadn't come here to fight, but with Jun seemingly intent on taking her life, what other choice was there? She launched into a charge, bearing down on Jun on at full speed. The onslaught of pillars and spikes Jun summoned was relentless, and Michelle's momentum was reduced to a crawl through being forced to dodge an endless barrage of Jun's otherworldly attacks. But even at a crawl's pace, and despite fatigue making her movements more and more sluggish, Michelle was still closing the distance between them. But then Jun changed tactics. Michelle didn't see it coming, the skull of a dog, with an eerie white aura surrounding it. The projectile hurtled directly at her, far faster than the pillars and spikes before it, striking her directly in the chest. The impact threw her hard on her back, and before she could get back to her feet, several sets of skeletal hands rose from the ichor to grip at Michelle's wrists and ankles. Finally a set of arms threw themselves around her waist, before slowly working to drag Michelle into their depths. Despite her fierce squirming, her bounds were winning the struggle, yet Michelle refused to let up, not even allowing a single thought of despair to enter her mind. If her fate was to drown within this hellish place, she would allow it after her confession to Jun, and not a second sooner. She managed to tilt her head down, half expecting Jun to be relishing her kill with a sadistic grin. Yet, Michelle found her hunched over, gripping her head in agony.

"**No! This one must also drown! She who would dare bring the light of the past into this world!" **Jun raved to herself like a madman.

Light… Past…. Michelle heard Jun-the real Jun somewhere in those words. The devil within her had to exert its power from keeping Jun from breaking through to the surface. But even despite the lapse of strength in the hands dragging Michelle below the ichor, she still couldn't break their grip. Suddenly, the turquoise jewel in her pendant began to glow bright. For a brief moment, Michelle's mahogany eyes flickered with the same colour. With an almighty roar, Michelle yanked her arms free, causing the skeletal hands to break off and lose their form. The arms and hands that had bound her waist and ankles were helpless to prevent Michelle from pulling herself to her feet. Once more she stood, this time, a gentle turquoise aura enveloped her. Without a word, she resumed her march towards Jun.

"**Stay back!"**

Jun launched another barrage of pillars and spikes at Michelle. This time, her momentum was impossible to break. Enhanced by the pendant, desperate rolls and dodges became graceful sidesteps, fast enough to leave turquoise afterimages in their wake. Desperate to keep Michelle away, Jun summoned a massive wall of spikes between them. Undeterred, she leapt into the air, easily clearing Jun's last obstacle. Michelle was close enough to see Jun's pupils shrunk with fear, as she blocked a hard left kick with her shoulder and forearm. She wasn't quick enough for Jun's next attack. Fingers first, Jun violently thrust her hand right into Michelle's chest. The force of the blow punched right through, leaving Jun's fingers protruding out of her back. With a desperate gasp for air, Michelle was expecting unbearable pain, but instead felt her body go numb. The two of them stood frozen in motion, as the aura that surrounded Michelle faded from existence. With her strength rapidly fading, Michelle slowly reached her hand up to stroke Jun's face. Even with the kill all but achieved the look on her face resembled fear, and not satisfaction. With a shaky breath, Jun violently pulled her hand out of Michelle's chest, causing her to lurch back.

"**Why….** Why did you have to come? **Why can't you leave me be?!**" The demonic echo was failing to hold consistency, as Jun shouted at Michelle, sounding scared angry and sad all at the same time.

Then the jewel within Michelle's pendant began to glow with a faint light, causing her to collapse forward into Jun. Although caught by surprise, she didn't struggle, and instead froze when Michelle wrapped her arms around her back.

"Didn't you hear me the first time?" Michelle's voice was weak in Jun's ear. "There are things that I've waited too long to tell you"

"Everything that's happened to you since I watched you leave in Arizona. Kazuya, Ogre, and now this… all of it, is my fault. It's my fault because I didn't have the strength then to say what I'm about to say now."

Michelle pulled back to look Jun directly into her eyes. The strength in her voice refused to adhere to her mortal injury.

"Jun Kazama. I love you!"

The tears from her eyes were flowing as easily as the words were from her mouth.

"I love you as much as I can possibly love someone. Not a day went by when I didn't think about you! And…. I'm sorry! I'm sorry I didn't pull you away from the abyss when I should have. If you forgive me, then please… please come back to me…please….."

Michelle had run out of words. She knew there was nothing else she was capable of doing from here. She couldn't possibly raise a fist to Jun now-devil possessed or not. She buried her face into Jun's shoulder, holding her tighter. She wanted to savour every last moment of her embrace before the worst happened. But to Michelle's surprise, she felt Jun's arms wrap around her back, just as she did all those years ago.

"Michelle…" Jun said gently into her ear.

"_I love you too._"

…And then the world was lost within a blinding white light….

.

.

Craig Marduk still found himself squinting, as the light faded from the forest. He ran a recap of the past few events in his head. They watched Michelle jump off the helicopter, then he and Lee Chaolan had to both disembark and hold Julia back from chasing her down(although neither of them were exactly sure of why). Then they watched Michelle disappear into the ominous cloud mass, then the helicopter was forced to ascend without them, then the entire forest lit up, blinding everyone. And now, everything seemed relatively normal. The storm was gone, in fact there were no signs of there ever being a storm in the first place. With his sight re-adjusted, Marduk looked around to check on Julia and Lee. Julia remained slumped on her knees, the way she had after watching Michelle disappear. Marduk remembered her not even trying to shield her eyes. The silver haired playboy however, was straight on his phone…

"Are you still in the air?!... Ah, excellent….. All things considering, I can't really blame you… Yes, I can see it from here. Find somewhere to land in the compound, and we'll meet you there, but be ready to take off immediately. After what we've seen, I wouldn't be surprised if Jin Kazama himself is on his way here."

Not long after Lee disengaged his phone, Marduk saw the Violet Industries helicopter buzz overhead against a star speckled sky. It suddenly occurred to Marduk that this was the first time they'd seen a clear sky ever since arriving in Japan for the tournament. He was about to comment on this, when…

"Mom?" Julia uttered, before launching into a full sprint into the forest.

"Julia! Wait!" Marduk called out, before taking off after her, with Lee Chaolan in tow.

Marduk knew that Julia was fast, he learnt that much from sparring with her, and fighting alongside her. Right now though, trying to keep up with her felt like trying to keep up with The Flash. His size was hindering him here, he heaved and panted as he pushed his body as fast as it would go. Lee wasn't faring much better either, despite wielding a more athletic shape.

"Damn she's fast…" Marduk puffed.

"Just as well she's running straight towards where we need to be." Lee replied.

"Huh?"

He looked ahead to find a large wooden gate guarding a clearing in the forest. Julia's already blindingly fast pace only quickened as she closed the gap between her and the gate. It looked solid enough to stop a Humvee at full charge in its tracks. Yet Julia's already impressive strength was quadrupled in her hysterical state. With her shoulder, she battered through the door, causing it to shatter completely. Finally, Marduk and Lee passed through the space where the gate once stood. They frantically scanned the compound for Julia. He looked to his left to find Julia ram down the entrance to the main castle.

"You go find your ride. And don't even think about leaving without us!"

"Count on it." Lee replied, giving a thumbs up before they parted ways.

Fully focused on finding Julia, Marduk gave no thought on the chances of Lee making good on his promise, as he headed into the castle. It was quite obvious that no one had been in here for a while. Aside for the outside light shining in from the entrance, the interior of the castle was completely enshrouded in darkness. Without any light to guide him, his pace slowed to a stagger, as he wandered about the corridors practically blind. Slowly, his eyes adjusted, and he was able to make out shapes amongst the dark. As his sense of depth returned to him, he heard heavy footsteps in quick succession above him, followed by Julia's voice calling out to her mother. Turning left around the next corridor, Marduk found a set of stairs. He figured that if he kept on finding stairs he'd run into Julia eventually, assuming she was headed to the top of the castle, although in her current state of mind, he was sure that she had no idea where she was going. He followed Julia up seven floors, using her footsteps overhead to navigate the castle's many corridors. By the eighth floor, he found himself in a throne room, or a viewing platform of sorts. The night sky was able to project its dim light through its open spaces, revealing a vast array of fans, curtains and banners plastered on the walls. Their normally vibrant colours were dulled by the lack of sunlight. In the middle of the room, Marduk found Julia. Teary eyed and exhausted, she'd collapsed on her knees, clutching the chain of her pendant Michelle took from her before disappearing.

"Why….. why did you stop me?" Julia could barely string her sentence together between her tears.

"Julia…"

"You BASTARD!" She suddenly turned around and started feebly wailing on him in hysterics. "She wouldn't have gone if you didn't hold me back! Mom would still be here, Mom would…"

Marduk said nothing, and gently placed a hand over Julia's shoulder. Her thrashing about faltered on his touch, immediately causing her to hug the large man tightly, unleashing a flood of tears into his chest. He'd never be able to explain how or why, but Marduk was sure that if Michelle didn't do what she did, none of them would be standing here right now. Looking down at her daughter balling away in his arms, he gave alittle more of his thoughts to the woman. He'd only met her a few days ago, almost a full six months after he started officially dating Julia. If he didn't know better he would've easy mistaken Michelle to be Julia's sister, or best friend, not her mother. He was smart enough to not say it openly, and it was just as well he didn't. Michelle didn't warm to him, and Marduk couldn't really blame her for not doing so. On the surface, he and Julia were the world's worst mismatch, and he had no doubt that any mother wouldn't be happy with a smart girl like Julia dating a brickhead like him. But with her last words, she entrusted her daughter's wellbeing to him. Marduk was unsure whether Michelle somehow saw beyond his exterior, or simply accepted Julia's choice. Either way didn't matter to him. A long as Julia allowed him to, he would make sure he didn't betray Michelle's trust. His thoughts were broken by Julia's cellphone ringing in her skirt pocket. She'd all but cried herself to sleep in his chest. Being in no position to take the call herself, Marduk carefully plucked the phone out, to answer Lee Chaolan's call.

"Yo…. Yeah, I got her…. We're on our way now."

Marduk carefully scooped Julia up in his arms, before navigating his way out of the castle, and into a courtyard where Lee's helicopter awaited them. Before boarding, Marduk looked over his shoulder at the stars. Somewhere above the cluster, two stars next to each other glittered brighter than the rest. Before tonight, he would've scoffed at the idea of spirits and souls and the like. But the things he'd witnessed left him re-educated. The side panels closed up behind him, and Lee's heli left the estate to return to civilisation…

.

.

Michelle felt like she was slowly waking from a really long dream. Looking straight up at the sky, a pastel mixture of baby blue and lavender, Michelle couldn't remember the last time the sky looked so… beautiful. The weightless feeling of floating on water matched the feeling in her chest, as though someone had removed some massive weight from her shoulders. Michelle hadn't even given a thought over whether or not her actions saved the world. In her heart, she knew she had succeeded somehow. She slowly brushed her hand over the wound Jun inflicted on her-to find that it wasn't there. The pendant was also gone too, no doubt having found its way back to Julia by now. Despite her relaxed state of mind, she wondered where Jun had gone to. More to the point, where had _she_ gone to? Michelle willed herself to sit upright to get a better feel for her surroundings. Her eyes widened at what she saw.

She discovered that the floating feeling she was experiencing earlier wasn't just a feeling. She was surrounded by an endless expanse of water, more pure than anything she'd seen before, and reflecting light from an unseen sun. It looked as though the water supported her weight, yet Michelle dared not think of how deep it was, in case the thought caused her to sink to its infinite depths. The lily pads and flowers, once decayed and rotten, now bloomed in vibrant pinks and greens. The trees that topped the floating rocks had sprouted deep purple leaves, and more pure water flowed freely from their openings where the sickly purple ichor once spewed from. As a flock of white doves flew a sortie across the sky, Michelle realised she'd never left the realm she walked into. In place of the hell that once surrounded her, a polarising paradise now flourished.

The thought of Jun's whereabouts caused Michelle to stand up. She surveyed the heavenly landscape, looking for any signs of Jun's presence. Finally, sprawled out on her back amongst the lily pads, Michelle found her. A white garment had replaced the purple liquid corset she once wore. From the neck, it started as a halter top, and ended in full length flowing pants, featuring a flock of black birds on the left leg. Around her shoulders, she wore a large navy scarf, although Michelle seemed convinced that it looked more like a jacket. But most importantly, a healthy colour had returned to her once pale skin and blackened lips. What lay before Michelle was Jun exactly how she remembered her, and not a twisted perversion courtesy of the devil gene. Michelle quickly ran to her side and dropped to her knees, hovering just above her.

"Jun?... Jun?!" Michelle called out.

Michelle gulped down a breath as Jun slowly stirred to life. Her scary movie logic told her that in a matter of moments, she'd be looking into hate filled golden orbs, before being swallowed into the nightmare she escaped from in the blink of an eye. Her fears became unfounded when loving chestnut eyes starred straight back at her, accompanied by a soft smile. Michelle smiled back full of joy. Her Jun had returned.

"Jun! It's you! Really you! I-"

Michelle was interrupted by a slender digit placed gently on her lips. Slowly, Jun traced her index finger to Michelle's cheek, where it was joined by her other three fingers and her thumb, and finally replaced by the palm of her hand. Michelle knew what Jun wanted when she parted her lips ever so slightly. This moment had only existed with the confines of Michelle's imagination and dreams in the past. But now all the walls between them were torn down, and they were well and truly out of reach from anyone that would judge them poorly. There was nothing stopping them from doing this. Michelle lowered her head…

True to her form, Jun's kiss was delicate and graceful, foregoing any hungry desperation when she captured Michelle's lips. All of Jun's movements were sensual, from the soft brushing of her fingernails against Michelle's cheek, to the delicate swishes of her tongue inside her mouth, to the way she ran the pad of her thumb over the plats of Michelle's braided tail in her other hand. Instinctively, Michelle placed her hands on her lover's shoulders as she went about her craft. Every nerve in her body tingled as her memories of kisses she shared with other people melted from her mind. No, Michelle was now convinced that anybody who'd tried to kiss her before this ended up simply pashing and mauling her. Jun was the first person to _kiss _her, and there would be no others after her. Eventually, Michelle had to break off from Jun's lips. It seemed that even in this realm of impossibilities, breathing was still a necessity.

"You know, I still remember what you said to me in Arizona. That we'd see each other again…." Michelle spoke, as her breathing returned to normal.

"…No matter what." Jun finished her sentence.

Michelle slowly sat back up, with Jun doing likewise. She rested the side of her head upon Michelle's shoulder, before linking her arm around Michelle's. With her other hand, Jun took Michelle's hand, and guided it to rest on her thigh, holding it in place. As content as Michelle was to just bask in the closeness of her lover, there was so much she wanted to ask Jun.

"What happened to you?"

"I died…." There was a slight sadness in Jun's tone, as she gazed off into the horizon.

"Ogre killed me. Destroyed me utterly. Didn't even leave Jin my body for closure. But my spirit lingered on. I was aware of everything happening around me. All the bloodshed I had to bear witness to, and the regret in my heart caused my willpower to waver against the curse Kazuya forced upon me."

"What do you mean by 'regret'?"

"Michelle, during the time we spent together at your home, I also grew to love you." Jun was straight to the point in her confession. "But I was too scared to act on it, and too blinded by my insistence on saving Kazuya's soul back then. After I died, I looked into your heart, and found that you felt the same way for me."

"Oh Jun…." After hearing this from Jun, Michelle didn't know whether to feel better knowing that Jun also kept similar feelings for her, or worse for not being brave for Jun when she needed her to.

"In some ways, knowing that you kept these feelings preserved for me gave me the strength to hold out a while longer." Jun reconciled, as if she could sense Michelle's guilt. "Watching you raise Julia also helped."

As heartwarming as Jun's words were, a wash of nervousness overcame Michelle, as thoughts of what else Jun bore witness to entered her mind. The 20 years they were apart from each over were not used to play crazy cat lady on Michelle's end. And after hearing Jun's confession, she couldn't help but feel like even more of an ass. Jun seemed to have picked up a sense of clairvoyance in the afterlife however. The moment Michelle thought of apologising, she softly planted her lips on her cheek as if to say '_don't even think about it'_ before resting her head back on Michelle's shoulder.

"At least for a while, it did." Jun continued. "But the moment I saw Jin's heart give into the temptation of power, the curse had overcome my soul."

"If you didn't come to pull me back when you did…." Jun raised her head up to look at Michelle. "The devil gene would have continued to bleed out to consume the world in despair. So, thank you for stopping me."

"You were calling out to me, I think." Michelle turned to lock eyes with Jun. "It just, took me a while to hear you, is all."

"I'm glad you came for me, but…" Jun's eyes had suddenly filled with concern.

"But what?"

"Well you being here right now. You know what it means for you, right?"

"I do."

"And you're OK with it?"

"I am." Michelle declared her acceptance of her place in the afterlife, as she turned her sight towards one of the floating rocks in the distance. "With my death, I saved your soul, Julia's life and the rest of the world. I'm content just knowing that."

"I'll miss her though." Michelle lowered her head at the thought of leaving her daughter behind.

"You won't be far from her." Jun replied. "Watch….."

Jun detached herself from Michelle's arm before leaning across her. She placed a finger in the water began to twirl it about slowly. Michelle became entranced as an image began to form within the boundary of the pool Jun created. Amongst the ripples, she saw Julia. She had fallen asleep in one of the seats in Lee Chaolan's helicopter, with her head rested on Marduk's shoulder. Her face was naturally streaked from the tears she cried over the sudden loss of her mother. As she continued to study the image, Michelle became aware of the exact feelings within her daughter's heart. She saw the extent of Julia's grief. She was confused and angry-and rightfully so. The way in which they parted would have the same effect on anyone with a human conscience. But such was the inevitability of life and death-they would have parted ways like this sooner or later. For the spiritually aware like Michelle and Julia, the thought didn't terrify, as their understanding of death was that of a new beginning, and not of finality. Michelle knew from experience that right now, Julia's grief clouded mind wouldn't see it that way, but she would eventually come to terms with it again. In the meantime, she was grateful that Julia had a strong and faithful man at her back to rely on.

"You'll be able to watch over her from here." Jun said, looking affectionately up at Michelle, before comfortably settling into her former position on Michelle's arm. "And when her time comes, you'll be reunited once more."

"I have a lot of explaining to do to her." Michelle sighed, resting her cheek against the top of Jun's head. "Hey Jun?"

"Hm?"

"When I see Julia again, will you…. be there with me?" Michelle's question caused Jun to raise her head up once more.

"Are you sure that would be right?" Jun hesitantly asked back.

"I think she'd understand a lot better if you two were to meet." Michelle re-assured.

"Then I'll do it." Jun said, not taking her eyes off Michelle. "But only if you'll be at my side when Jin crosses over."

Michelle didn't answer Jun back, as she rummaged through her head to look for the least offensive reply. The media reports on Jin's character and actions were already damning enough. From her personal experience with the Mishimas, Michelle felt that the media only covered the tip of the iceberg. Yet the few words Jun spoke about him suggested that he something else other than the son of Kazuya Mishima in mind, body and soul. Now more questions swam about in Michelle's head. What sort of person was Jin before his rise to power? Exactly what made him fold to temptation and why? Michelle didn't wonder why she was so forgiving of it all though. Jun was just that kind of person, willing to dig through all hell's worth of evil to find a slither of good in a person-no matter what the personal cost was.

"I know what you're thinking." Jun spoke, being completely aware of her lover's doubts about her son. "Jin's ideals are still pure, but the world has caused him to lose his way, I can see that properly now."

"I'm not worried though." Jun shifted her position into a light hug at Michelle's side around her waist. "I know that _she'll_ bring him back."

"His bodyguard?" Michelle asked sheepishly, thinking of the blonde woman often spotted at Jin's side in photographs and videos.

"No. Not her." Jun frowned, in a way that suggested she found the blonde woman repulsive. "Someone who appeals to Jin's better nature, and unlike his father, he'll listen to her when he's ready."

"I see…"

"You don't sound all that convinced, but that's fine. You'll see it soon enough." Jun said, as she slightly softened her embrace over Michelle. "There are other things I can show you here in the meantime."

"Yeah, I was gonna ask you about that." Michelle replied, happy with the positive turn the conversation took. "This place we're in right now. As pretty as it is, there's gotta be more to it than just this garden, right?"

"Oh, there is. There's much, much more….." Jun's voice almost quietening to a whisper, as she seductively brushed her lips against the top of Michelle's neck.

Earning a light gasp from her lover, subtle brushes became full kisses as Jun worked over the small space that wasn't covered by the strange zebra striped garment that Michelle wore over her neck and arms(an inconvenience Jun would remove soon enough). She gently lowered Michelle onto her back, before hovering over her, their breasts lightly pressed against one another.

"But we have an eternity for all of that. There's no rush." Jun spoke, leaving Michelle's neck to lock eyes with her.

Michelle's nerves lit up in anticipation as she wrapped her arms around Jun's back. Their eyes never left each other, projecting every emotion they were feeling while Jun slowly ran her hand up Michelle's side, finishing with the palm of her hand resting lightly on Michelle's breast.

"You've just come back to me. We should reacquaint properly first." Were Jun's words before taking Michelle's lips again, the beginning of the first of many acts of intimacy they would share together. Here in this realm beyond time, space and possibility, built on the foundations of their everlasting love.

* * *

...And, done. As I said before, this fic is heavily influenced by TheNewBrawler's Michelle/Jun fic, only I wanted to make the femslash alittle more blatant for the sake of fanservice, rather than merely imply it. The biggest thing for me was Jun's portrayal both in this fic, and the game itself. Despite being a full character, for me Jun's presence is that of a ghost. When you fight her in arcade mode, you fight in what I can only describe as the physical embodiement of her imagination. And the only time you ever see her outside this state, is if she's in someone's dream(poor Lars). I wanted portray this idea in my fic. The idea of her being physically dead, yet her spiritual presence still existing.

If you like what you've read here, ad it to your favorites, and review it. Or don't... it's really up to you guys. Anyways, I'll be around in one form or another, so... yeah.


End file.
